Hired the previous April by General Manager Tom Gorman, Dick Irvin made his debut behind the bench at the Montreal Forum on November 3, 1940. The former Blackhawks and Maple Leafs coach had to settle for a 1-1 tie with the Bruins after Boston forward, Milt Schmidt, scored late in the game.

Irvin would remain behind the Montreal bench for the next 15 years, the longest tenure of any Habs coach, guiding the franchise to 415 regular season wins and three Stanley Cup Championships. Under his watchful eye, the Canadiens put up the highest winning percentage in team history, thanks to an incredible 38-5-7 (0.830) record in 1943-44 en route to the fifth Stanley Cup in team history.